It's Ace.

President

President is an interesting game, there are no others which are similar to it, it’s a fun game which provides a laugh for all the players.

The basics

-Number of players: four or more players

-Playing time: half an hour or longer

-Cards: a standard deck of 52 cards – if you are playing with more than seven players, another deck will be needed

-Ranking: the rank of the cards is straightforward enough: 2s are the highest cards, and then the regular sequence applies from the ace down to the lowly 3. Suits are equal.

Object of the game

You attain success in President through getting rid of all your cards earlier than everybody else. Everyone obtains roughly the same number of cards. At each of your turns, you have the choice of following the cards that have been played by playing cards of your own or passing by not playing a card.

Scores are assigned to players in the order in which they lose all their cards, the first player to 11 wins.

Play

The dealer for the initial round, chosen at random, deals out all the cards in the deck face-down, clockwise, and one at a time. For the following rounds, the dealer depends on the results of the previous round.

The player to the dealer’s left plays first, putting one to four cards of the same value face-up on the table.

After a player lays the first card, the chance to play moves around the table in a clockwise direction. Though, for another player to put down a card, he must put down the same number of cards as the previous player put down – the following is an example instance, if the first player places down two cards, all succeeding players must put down two cards. Not only this, but the cards which are then put down must have a higher rank than the cards which have already played.

When you play a card (or cards) that no one else can or wishes to top, the trick is finished. You remove the cards, and whoever played last on the previous trick starts the sequence of play again.

You do not have to play a card if you do not want to do so.

The card-playing phase persists as normal until one player eliminates all of his cards. Whoever runs out first wins and is converted to the president on the next hand.

However, play doesn’t finish at the first player out; you continue until just one player is left holding cards. The unfortunate player then becomes the “scum”. The closing order controls who plays first, second, third, and so on for the next hand.

After the scum appears, the scoring starts. The winner, and president for the next hand, receives 2 points, and the runner-up, or vice-president, gets 1 point. The scum loses 2 points, and the second-to-last player, the worker, loses 1 point. Everyone else score zero.

The next hand

All players obtain a social status, and also points, based on the results of the first hand. After the scorer does the maths, the players name themselves corresponding to their finishing positions.

Prior the next hand starts, all the players switch seats. The president gets to settle himself in the most relaxing chair and the other player’s seat clockwise in order of rank: The scum is left to kneel on the floor or perch on a box or something similarly uncomfortable. When this has been done, the next hand is dealt, by the scum.

Just the scum is permitted to touch the cards; he shuffles and deals the cards and clears away the cards at the end of every trick. No one can interfere in the scum’s obligations, and the penalty for ignoring this is that you become the scum for the next hand, irrespective of the finishing order.

Before the next hand begins, the scum’s shame increases further. He is required to give the president his two greatest cards and receive any two cards from the president’s hand in return.

The first player to reach 11 points wins.

The role of jokers

There are two ways they can be used, the choice is yours:

– As the highest card (above the 2): If you use more than one joker as a high card, make sure their markings allow you to differentiate which ranks higher.

– As a wild card: You may use a joker to turn two 3s into a set of three 3s, or other cards.

Tips on how to win

When the end of a hand is looming, you must plan your strategy. Try to remember how many high cards are still out. Pursue the aces and 2s if possible. When players are down to only a few cards each, you may have trouble determining whether to split up a pair in order to try to get the lead.

E.g. You’re left with the King of Diamonds, King of spades and the 4 of clubs, and the last play was a single jack. The majority of the other players boast two to five cards. You may not wish to rip your kings apart, if plenty of aces and 2s are still out. Your kings are very strong together, as no one is expected to have a higher pair. Nonetheless, if you can tell that your king is likely to win the trick, play it. You can lead your 4 and have a good chance to get rid of the other king on one of your next turns.